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Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
Mimi Wallingford, Great Granddaughter of Adelaide Wallingford, has the life that most girls dream about, playing Juliet opposite teen heartthrob Troy Summer on Broadway in Shakespeare's famous play. Unfortunately, she has no desire to be an actress, a fact her mother can't seem to grasp. But when she and Troy are magically thrust into Shakespeare's Verona, they experience the feud between the Capulets and Montagues first hand. Mimi realizes that she and Juliet have more in common than Shakespeare's script-they are both fighting for futures of their own choosing. Mimi feels compelled to help her and with Troy's unexpected help, hopes to give Shakespeare's most famous tragedy a happily-ever-after-ending.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 22, 2008
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5567 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Selfors
72 books846 followersSuzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews
September 30, 2024
Now as a story in and of itself, as a time-travel (or perhaps in this case, one should say more a play-travel) fantasy, Suzanne Selfors' Saving Juliet really and truly presents itself as a massively fun romp, a bit chick literature-like perhaps (and most definitely conceptualised for and specifically geared towards teenaged girls) but I have indeed very much enjoyed the entire premise of Mimi finding herself in William Shakespeare's vision of Verona, in William Shakespeare's story of Romeo Monatgue and Juliet Capulet, and absolutely do love the voice of the narrator, of the main protagonist, as Mimi to and for me feels totally authentic, lovable, adorable, and is also very much someone whom I would consider a so-called a kindred spirit (and of course, romantic and sentimental I indeed also very much appreciate that the title Saving Juliet really speaks the truth, that Juliet and even Romeo are saved, and that in fact after actually almost never even meeting in this adaption, in Suzanne Selfors' Romeo and Juliet take-off, Romeo and Juliet actually do end up together as a couple and permanently so, and certainly very much alive). And yes, if I had read Saving Juliet as a teenager (in other words, if the novel had been published in the 1980s, when I was a teenager) I would most definitely have both devoured Saving Juliet and rated it very highly, with four and perhaps even as high as five stars.
However, and as much as I have indeed enjoyed Saving Juliet, I am also no longer a teenager, but rather an often critical older adult reader (and one who does usually tend to read closely and often with potential criticism in my mind, especially when it pertains to characterisation). And there unfortunately are two minor but still worrisome and frustrating issues that I have found with Saving Juliet (both literary and personal) that have at least somewhat affected my own potential reading pleasure and have also made me only consider a high three star rating at best. For one (and most importantly, in fact), I have not all that much appreciated how wooden and how incredibly flat many of the more unilaterally negative and nasty characters encountered in Saving Juliet tend to be (in particular, Lady Capulet and also at the beginning of the novel Mimi's mother both do appear and are depicted, are presented by the author, are shown and described by Suzanne Selfors as almost caricature like fairy tale witches, as so inherently and one-sidedly horrible and vicious that one almost feels like laughing with and in disbelief at times).
And for two (and on a more personal and emotional level) I also cannot say that I find Suzanne Selfors' changes to the character of Benvolio in any way even remotely to my taste. He has not only been made rather massively possessive, he actually tries to force himself on Mimi; in other words, he basically tries to rape her. Now did this novel, did Saving Juliet really need scenes describing and depicting sexual abuse and interference, as this all seems rather gratuitous and really, truly totally unnecessary to and for me? And of course, the fact that of all the characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio is the one whom I have always liked the most and is a character on whom I also had a massive literary crush in grade eight, when we read the play for school, this makes me by nature and even necessity despise any character changes in Saving Juliet that make Benvolio appear negative, nasty or in this case sexually violent. But really, even if I did not have that personal connection to Benvolio as a favourite Shakespeare character, I also find it rather problematic, sad and even a trifle worrisome, that so so many Young Adult novels nowadays almost seem to require scenes of sexuality, and considerably worse, often scenes of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or at least the possibility thereof. Now would I still recommend Saving Juliet? Yes, most definitely, and especially to anyone who enjoys time-travel or time-slip novels, as even with the issues shown above, and although especially the sexual abuse scenarios do leave a bit of a frustrated and problematic taste in my mouth, Saving Juliet is a fun and engaging reading experience, and Suzanne Selfors has indeed created a lovely story, and with especially Mimi and Troy, two very likeable, approachable and relatable main protagonists (my issues with certain parts of the novel, with set-up, characterization and thematics quite notwithstanding).
However, and as much as I have indeed enjoyed Saving Juliet, I am also no longer a teenager, but rather an often critical older adult reader (and one who does usually tend to read closely and often with potential criticism in my mind, especially when it pertains to characterisation). And there unfortunately are two minor but still worrisome and frustrating issues that I have found with Saving Juliet (both literary and personal) that have at least somewhat affected my own potential reading pleasure and have also made me only consider a high three star rating at best. For one (and most importantly, in fact), I have not all that much appreciated how wooden and how incredibly flat many of the more unilaterally negative and nasty characters encountered in Saving Juliet tend to be (in particular, Lady Capulet and also at the beginning of the novel Mimi's mother both do appear and are depicted, are presented by the author, are shown and described by Suzanne Selfors as almost caricature like fairy tale witches, as so inherently and one-sidedly horrible and vicious that one almost feels like laughing with and in disbelief at times).
And for two (and on a more personal and emotional level) I also cannot say that I find Suzanne Selfors' changes to the character of Benvolio in any way even remotely to my taste. He has not only been made rather massively possessive, he actually tries to force himself on Mimi; in other words, he basically tries to rape her. Now did this novel, did Saving Juliet really need scenes describing and depicting sexual abuse and interference, as this all seems rather gratuitous and really, truly totally unnecessary to and for me? And of course, the fact that of all the characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio is the one whom I have always liked the most and is a character on whom I also had a massive literary crush in grade eight, when we read the play for school, this makes me by nature and even necessity despise any character changes in Saving Juliet that make Benvolio appear negative, nasty or in this case sexually violent. But really, even if I did not have that personal connection to Benvolio as a favourite Shakespeare character, I also find it rather problematic, sad and even a trifle worrisome, that so so many Young Adult novels nowadays almost seem to require scenes of sexuality, and considerably worse, often scenes of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or at least the possibility thereof. Now would I still recommend Saving Juliet? Yes, most definitely, and especially to anyone who enjoys time-travel or time-slip novels, as even with the issues shown above, and although especially the sexual abuse scenarios do leave a bit of a frustrated and problematic taste in my mouth, Saving Juliet is a fun and engaging reading experience, and Suzanne Selfors has indeed created a lovely story, and with especially Mimi and Troy, two very likeable, approachable and relatable main protagonists (my issues with certain parts of the novel, with set-up, characterization and thematics quite notwithstanding).
February 26, 2010
Ok so this story is about a girl name Mimi. She is an actress for theatre, even though she hates it. She plays Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Troy is her dreamy and cocky costar. He plays Romeo. Mimi gets these magic ashes from her aunt, and to make a long story short she and Troy ends up in the play Romeo and Juliet. Oh and even if you haven't read Romeo and Juliet (like me) that's just fine, the play doesn't exactly go its original course. She meets Romeo, Juliet (who is just the cutest and spunkiest girl you'd never expect), Romeo's cousin, Benvolio, who I love even though he was player-like and you really shouldn't like him because of the end. But it's not all fun and games they are left tying to figure out how to leave the story, try to save Juliet herself, try to not get killed because they are wanted by Juliet's wicked mother, Lady Capulet, and a whole lot more. So much happens! The story is SO hilarious and amusing, I wished it was longer. This story was a light read, so pick it up if you are looking to be amused. This book was amazing, and I never expected it to be. What can I say, I'm a sucker for happy endings. However, the the only negative I could find was that it was a bit preditable, but nothing is perfect. A great book!
March 22, 2013
1 out of 5 Stars
Mimi Wallingford is destined to be an actress…against her will. . Mimi would prefer to be a doctor, but her overbearing mother won’t hear of it. She’s stuck performing in Romeo and Juliet with teen heartthrob Troy Summers until she and Troy are magically transported to Shakespeare’s Verona. There Mimi meets the real Juliet and realizes they both have more in common than she realized.
I studied Shakespeare in college and even did an independent study on the guy. I probably re-read Much Ado About Nothing at least once a year and I always discover something new. So needless to say, I’m a fan. I love Romeo and Juliet and I think the play is unfairly maligned. I was hoping this book would explore the beauty and depth often ignored and shed new light on the play, but alas that wasn’t to be. Selfors manages to make rounded Shakespearean characters shallow and flat and many of the characters are inconsistent with their Shakespearean counterparts. Juliet in the play is an incredibly mature and clear-sighted, while this Juliet is immature and foolish. In the play, Benvolio is the peace-maker and voice of reason; in this book, he’s a hot-headed creepy womanizing rapist (seriously WTF? DO NOT INSULT MY SHAKESPEARE BF!).
Yes, I have a Shakespeare boyfriend. Don't judge.
The research is incredibly poor (she keeps mentioning codpieces when they were out of fashion by 1590 – and this story takes place in 1594) and makes me question if she read the play (at one point she states that Tybalt was killed at the end of the play, when he was killed in Act III, Scene I – right smack in the middle of the play). The characters speak in modern English slang (‘totally’ is used every other word), but why the do so is never explained satisfactorily.
I understand the obsession with codpieces and tights. Truly I do.
In fact, Juliet is hardly in the book. The book, despite the title, mostly focuses on Mimi. Mimi facilitates from being a fairly vacuous fill-in heroine to completely annoying and judgmental. The rest of the modern day characters aren’t much better. They’re just as shallow as Selfor’s Shakespearean characters. Do I need to mention the flamboyant Hispanic who speaks in broken English who is Mimi’s make-up artist? Yeah, the characterization is THAT BAD.
The tone is confusing. There is a lot of immature humor befitting 11-12-year-old tween, but Mimi obsesses constantly over her virginity and at one point checks out Troy adjusting his junk, which feels more in line with a 16+ audience. It doesn’t help that Mimi is narrating the story from the future. She’ll randomly say things like ‘I should tell you what it looked like’ or ‘this is what happened next’ at the most inappropriate times. Besides being really clunky, it interrupted the flow of the story.
What upset me most about this book was the attempted rape by Benvolio.
Benvolio is a gentleman. He respects the laydeez.
I was a little peeved that my favorite character in R&J was being maligned, but this could have been a warning about how even nice guys and people you know and trust can rape. However, since Benvolio is first characterized as a romantic hero, then possessive, and then a womanizer – aka “a bad man” – the take away was only ‘bad evil people rape, not heroes!’
Pictured: NOT Benvolio. And as a Pittsburgher, the title makes me laugh.
The attempted rape isn’t exceptionally graphic, but there are enough details to make it disturbing and it would be emotionally scarring for Mimi to say the least. Mimi does have feelings of shame and distrust immediately afterwards, but a minute later she’s falling into Troy’s arms. NO. NO. NO. It felt like the teenage version of the magical healing peen. Not even hours later, Mimi’s referring to her experience flippantly. ‘Oh yeah, you know that time I was almost raped. Blah blah.’ You do not have an experience as horrendous as rape, even if it wasn’t completed, and just hand wave it away like it’s nothing.
I did like how Romeo’s emotional honesty was painted as a positive thing. It’s the only thing that made me look at a character differently.
This blew my MIND.
But the author had to mess that up by stating that Romeo had depression. Sighing over a girl because she doesn’t like you is not depression. Depression isn’t magically healed when you fall in love, as Romeo’s “depression” is when he meets Juliet. If falling in love was the cure to depression, I think modern psychology would be jumping on that STAT.
The characters were shallow and the craft was very amateur. Saving Juliet was at best uninteresting and uninspired, and at worst downright offensive. With such a rich well to draw from as a Shakespearean play, this book didn’t even try to skim the surface. It’s forgettable and not worth your time.
;D
Mimi Wallingford is destined to be an actress…against her will. . Mimi would prefer to be a doctor, but her overbearing mother won’t hear of it. She’s stuck performing in Romeo and Juliet with teen heartthrob Troy Summers until she and Troy are magically transported to Shakespeare’s Verona. There Mimi meets the real Juliet and realizes they both have more in common than she realized.
I studied Shakespeare in college and even did an independent study on the guy. I probably re-read Much Ado About Nothing at least once a year and I always discover something new. So needless to say, I’m a fan. I love Romeo and Juliet and I think the play is unfairly maligned. I was hoping this book would explore the beauty and depth often ignored and shed new light on the play, but alas that wasn’t to be. Selfors manages to make rounded Shakespearean characters shallow and flat and many of the characters are inconsistent with their Shakespearean counterparts. Juliet in the play is an incredibly mature and clear-sighted, while this Juliet is immature and foolish. In the play, Benvolio is the peace-maker and voice of reason; in this book, he’s a hot-headed creepy womanizing rapist (seriously WTF? DO NOT INSULT MY SHAKESPEARE BF!).
Yes, I have a Shakespeare boyfriend. Don't judge.
The research is incredibly poor (she keeps mentioning codpieces when they were out of fashion by 1590 – and this story takes place in 1594) and makes me question if she read the play (at one point she states that Tybalt was killed at the end of the play, when he was killed in Act III, Scene I – right smack in the middle of the play). The characters speak in modern English slang (‘totally’ is used every other word), but why the do so is never explained satisfactorily.
I understand the obsession with codpieces and tights. Truly I do.
In fact, Juliet is hardly in the book. The book, despite the title, mostly focuses on Mimi. Mimi facilitates from being a fairly vacuous fill-in heroine to completely annoying and judgmental. The rest of the modern day characters aren’t much better. They’re just as shallow as Selfor’s Shakespearean characters. Do I need to mention the flamboyant Hispanic who speaks in broken English who is Mimi’s make-up artist? Yeah, the characterization is THAT BAD.
The tone is confusing. There is a lot of immature humor befitting 11-12-year-old tween, but Mimi obsesses constantly over her virginity and at one point checks out Troy adjusting his junk, which feels more in line with a 16+ audience. It doesn’t help that Mimi is narrating the story from the future. She’ll randomly say things like ‘I should tell you what it looked like’ or ‘this is what happened next’ at the most inappropriate times. Besides being really clunky, it interrupted the flow of the story.
What upset me most about this book was the attempted rape by Benvolio.
Benvolio is a gentleman. He respects the laydeez.
I was a little peeved that my favorite character in R&J was being maligned, but this could have been a warning about how even nice guys and people you know and trust can rape. However, since Benvolio is first characterized as a romantic hero, then possessive, and then a womanizer – aka “a bad man” – the take away was only ‘bad evil people rape, not heroes!’
Pictured: NOT Benvolio. And as a Pittsburgher, the title makes me laugh.
The attempted rape isn’t exceptionally graphic, but there are enough details to make it disturbing and it would be emotionally scarring for Mimi to say the least. Mimi does have feelings of shame and distrust immediately afterwards, but a minute later she’s falling into Troy’s arms. NO. NO. NO. It felt like the teenage version of the magical healing peen. Not even hours later, Mimi’s referring to her experience flippantly. ‘Oh yeah, you know that time I was almost raped. Blah blah.’ You do not have an experience as horrendous as rape, even if it wasn’t completed, and just hand wave it away like it’s nothing.
I did like how Romeo’s emotional honesty was painted as a positive thing. It’s the only thing that made me look at a character differently.
This blew my MIND.
But the author had to mess that up by stating that Romeo had depression. Sighing over a girl because she doesn’t like you is not depression. Depression isn’t magically healed when you fall in love, as Romeo’s “depression” is when he meets Juliet. If falling in love was the cure to depression, I think modern psychology would be jumping on that STAT.
The characters were shallow and the craft was very amateur. Saving Juliet was at best uninteresting and uninspired, and at worst downright offensive. With such a rich well to draw from as a Shakespearean play, this book didn’t even try to skim the surface. It’s forgettable and not worth your time.
;D
May 12, 2008
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
"This above all: to thine own self be true." Shakespeare. This was the underlying theme in this excellent story about growing up.
Mimi Wallingford is the last in line of a Shakespearean acting family. All her mother wants her to do is be a Shakespearean actress in New York at the family theater. All 17-year-old Mimi wants is to be a normal teenager.
She wants to go to college in Los Angeles and study medicine. She wants to see the world. When we first meet Mimi, she is playing Juliet. Her Romeo is teen pop star, Troy Summer, who has ego problems. Mimi is attracted to Troy but can't believe he would ever look twice at her.
After having a very bad evening, she and Troy are transported to the very real story of Romeo and Juliet. She meets both of the main characters and is surprised when Juliet is having the same problems with her mother as she is with her own.
Lady Capulet is a major villain in this story. Mimi and Troy learn many lessons and help Juliet and Romeo find their destinies, while getting the confidence to solve their own problems. They also do this with an incredibly happy ending.
It is very gratifying to have another story based on the classic Shakespeare story. I loved the way that the author headed each chapter with a quote from Shakespeare which applied to the chapter and the story line. I really enjoyed this book, and if I was a ninth-grade teacher I would have my class read this after we studied Romeo and Juliet; but, alas, I am only a fifth-grade teacher!
"This above all: to thine own self be true." Shakespeare. This was the underlying theme in this excellent story about growing up.
Mimi Wallingford is the last in line of a Shakespearean acting family. All her mother wants her to do is be a Shakespearean actress in New York at the family theater. All 17-year-old Mimi wants is to be a normal teenager.
She wants to go to college in Los Angeles and study medicine. She wants to see the world. When we first meet Mimi, she is playing Juliet. Her Romeo is teen pop star, Troy Summer, who has ego problems. Mimi is attracted to Troy but can't believe he would ever look twice at her.
After having a very bad evening, she and Troy are transported to the very real story of Romeo and Juliet. She meets both of the main characters and is surprised when Juliet is having the same problems with her mother as she is with her own.
Lady Capulet is a major villain in this story. Mimi and Troy learn many lessons and help Juliet and Romeo find their destinies, while getting the confidence to solve their own problems. They also do this with an incredibly happy ending.
It is very gratifying to have another story based on the classic Shakespeare story. I loved the way that the author headed each chapter with a quote from Shakespeare which applied to the chapter and the story line. I really enjoyed this book, and if I was a ninth-grade teacher I would have my class read this after we studied Romeo and Juliet; but, alas, I am only a fifth-grade teacher!
April 12, 2018
I really liked this book but the ending didn't feel complete for me and that's half the reason it didn't get 5 stars.
January 5, 2012
This is the first review I have ever posted so I just want to say that I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’ve been told very often that I’m extremely blunt, although I think it’s more like I’m just honest. Anyway I’ll start with the cover.
Cover
The cover isn’t very striking. It’s not enchantingly beautiful or devastatingly ugly. It’s kind of plain and I probably won’t remember it in a few days. It’s just a photo of a girl in a Juliet costume chewing gum. I will say that it is relevant to the story. The fact that a girl wearing a Juliet costume was chewing gum made me interested enough to read the jacket. I give the cover 3 stars.
Characters
Most of the characters were ok. I hated only hated a few of them, that few being Mimi’s mom, Lady Capulet, and Troy(or should I say Will), Tybalt, Benvolio and, surprisingly, Mimi. But By the end I sort of liked most of them. The only reason I didn’t like Mimi at first was that I couldn’t believe she got upset with her mom for borrowing money. I know these are hard times so when mom takes money out of my account I don’t say anything. Also She should know that parents are usually controlling and set in their ways. They’re going to try and tell you what to do and conveniently lose their hearing sometimes. You just have to make them listen to you.
Ok I got completely off track. The best characters were Romeo and Juliet. I’d like to congratulate the author on making two of the most annoying characters ever written very likable. I give the characters a 4.
Plot/Writing style
The plot was pretty interesting. I really hated Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was just plain stupid. Suzanne Selfor’s version is way better. Romeo is just a silly teenager and Juliet acts her age. The ending was way better and more like how books should end, happily ever after. I didn’t like how fast everything went. I don’t feel like I had a chance to connect with the characters. The book would have been much better if it had been a tad slower. The worst part of the book was how it was narrated. Mimi told us every connection her life had to the story even when it was obvious. I would have liked to make the connection myself. I give the plot a 4 and the writing a 3.
Overall
3 ½ stars
I would definitely recommend reading this book. It was interesting and cute. It was a nice break from the really deep, dark, depressing paranormal books I’ve been reading. I would read any sequels if Suzanne were to write some.
Cover
The cover isn’t very striking. It’s not enchantingly beautiful or devastatingly ugly. It’s kind of plain and I probably won’t remember it in a few days. It’s just a photo of a girl in a Juliet costume chewing gum. I will say that it is relevant to the story. The fact that a girl wearing a Juliet costume was chewing gum made me interested enough to read the jacket. I give the cover 3 stars.
Characters
Most of the characters were ok. I hated only hated a few of them, that few being Mimi’s mom, Lady Capulet, and Troy(or should I say Will), Tybalt, Benvolio and, surprisingly, Mimi. But By the end I sort of liked most of them. The only reason I didn’t like Mimi at first was that I couldn’t believe she got upset with her mom for borrowing money. I know these are hard times so when mom takes money out of my account I don’t say anything. Also She should know that parents are usually controlling and set in their ways. They’re going to try and tell you what to do and conveniently lose their hearing sometimes. You just have to make them listen to you.
Ok I got completely off track. The best characters were Romeo and Juliet. I’d like to congratulate the author on making two of the most annoying characters ever written very likable. I give the characters a 4.
Plot/Writing style
The plot was pretty interesting. I really hated Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was just plain stupid. Suzanne Selfor’s version is way better. Romeo is just a silly teenager and Juliet acts her age. The ending was way better and more like how books should end, happily ever after. I didn’t like how fast everything went. I don’t feel like I had a chance to connect with the characters. The book would have been much better if it had been a tad slower. The worst part of the book was how it was narrated. Mimi told us every connection her life had to the story even when it was obvious. I would have liked to make the connection myself. I give the plot a 4 and the writing a 3.
Overall
3 ½ stars
I would definitely recommend reading this book. It was interesting and cute. It was a nice break from the really deep, dark, depressing paranormal books I’ve been reading. I would read any sequels if Suzanne were to write some.
September 24, 2013
Rating: 4.5
First, let me just say that you shouldn't pass up this book just because the cover isn't (admittedly) the prettiest. I honestly adored everything about this novel (and it's not just because the main girl's name is Mimi)!
Saving Juliet is like a modern spin on Romeo and Juliet but not at the same time! It's more about a girl who is accidentally finds herself stuck in the world's greatest love story, where Shakespeare's version is about as similar to it as a baby chick is to a hawk. It's fun and sweet and SO hilarious sometimes that I'm constantly in the land of Goofy Grins.
My absolute favourite thing about this book is the cast. Mimi (LOL ♥) is such a strong and hilarious character, and her interactions with Troy — who we first just see as a spoiled pop star but ends up being so, so sweet — make me want to laugh out loud! Plus, I adored that Juliet was just a young girl with a lot of spunk.
Hilarious, heartwarming, and absolutely adorable, Saving Juliet is the perfect sort-of remake of Shakespeare's famous classic! The plot is fun, well-crafted, and mixed with twists that keep it all interesting. I recommend it wholeheartedly whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not!
BUY or BORROW?: I won't blame you if you're hesitant to buy this one (because I certainly was), but you should definitely read it anyways because it's just such a fun book! :)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
First, let me just say that you shouldn't pass up this book just because the cover isn't (admittedly) the prettiest. I honestly adored everything about this novel (and it's not just because the main girl's name is Mimi)!
Saving Juliet is like a modern spin on Romeo and Juliet but not at the same time! It's more about a girl who is accidentally finds herself stuck in the world's greatest love story, where Shakespeare's version is about as similar to it as a baby chick is to a hawk. It's fun and sweet and SO hilarious sometimes that I'm constantly in the land of Goofy Grins.
My absolute favourite thing about this book is the cast. Mimi (LOL ♥) is such a strong and hilarious character, and her interactions with Troy — who we first just see as a spoiled pop star but ends up being so, so sweet — make me want to laugh out loud! Plus, I adored that Juliet was just a young girl with a lot of spunk.
Hilarious, heartwarming, and absolutely adorable, Saving Juliet is the perfect sort-of remake of Shakespeare's famous classic! The plot is fun, well-crafted, and mixed with twists that keep it all interesting. I recommend it wholeheartedly whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not!
BUY or BORROW?: I won't blame you if you're hesitant to buy this one (because I certainly was), but you should definitely read it anyways because it's just such a fun book! :)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
August 28, 2011
This was probably the funniest book I have ever read in my life. I read this a few years ago when my sister raved about it and we STILL make jokes about it to this day. First off, the usage of Shakespeare is genius in this story. Selfors is able to stick to the original characters while adding her own touch. For once I actually liked Mercutio, especially with his fanstic lines "Girl Come and Hither and we will Dither" and my favorite, "Girl Come and Handle My Candle."
The characters kind of mess with the story a bit, but that just makes it all the more fun. Romeo doesn't see Juliet until around the end so he's moping round a lot, and we see a lot of my favorite Romeo and Juliet character, Benvolio. Sadly, I didn't like how the author painted this character. In fact that was the only thing I didn't like about this book. But the comedy made me forget about it anyway.
It's an easy read, though if you don't know Romeo and Juliet then I don't think you can appreciate this book as much. Oh, and this book proves yet again that Tybalt is a stupid cod piece (the viper kind too, as they illustrate in the book). Then again, Tybalt was kind of funny in his own way. And so was Lady Capulet, who apparently is the bad guy of Romeo and Juliet (Um... I don't remember this. I'm pretty sure she didn't make them kill themselves.). "Tell me, where you raped?" I liked how Juliet was portrayed. Sometimes I think Juliet is a real idiot, but in this she seemed so cute and fun. It was impossible not to like her.
What makes this book so great is that if you love Shakespeare you can appreciate it, and if you don't you can still enjoy the book. I would say its best for ages 13 and up as there is a scene were someone tries to get frisky, but other than that its a clean read.
The characters kind of mess with the story a bit, but that just makes it all the more fun. Romeo doesn't see Juliet until around the end so he's moping round a lot, and we see a lot of my favorite Romeo and Juliet character, Benvolio. Sadly, I didn't like how the author painted this character. In fact that was the only thing I didn't like about this book. But the comedy made me forget about it anyway.
It's an easy read, though if you don't know Romeo and Juliet then I don't think you can appreciate this book as much. Oh, and this book proves yet again that Tybalt is a stupid cod piece (the viper kind too, as they illustrate in the book). Then again, Tybalt was kind of funny in his own way. And so was Lady Capulet, who apparently is the bad guy of Romeo and Juliet (Um... I don't remember this. I'm pretty sure she didn't make them kill themselves.). "Tell me, where you raped?" I liked how Juliet was portrayed. Sometimes I think Juliet is a real idiot, but in this she seemed so cute and fun. It was impossible not to like her.
What makes this book so great is that if you love Shakespeare you can appreciate it, and if you don't you can still enjoy the book. I would say its best for ages 13 and up as there is a scene were someone tries to get frisky, but other than that its a clean read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2008
The plot line--teenager struggles to form her own identity, plunges into a magical trial-by-fire, emerges victorious--doesn't leave the reader in much suspense, and the characters are flat (even after their public facades are dropped), but this is still an enjoyable foray into the well-known story of Romeo and Juliet. Best for beach reading or similarly lazy days, the story moves predictably and without much innovation or surprise. The characters don't develop much (and, when they do, the alterations feel forced and unlikely), and the narrator's voice sounds like a new college student experimenting with creative writing. Maybe that was the intention, but the story is very obviously forced forward by the narrator.
Don't expect too much interaction with Shakespeare's characters. They're in the scenes, but they're even flatter than the main characters. A few start out promisingly, but they all end up looking like marionettes being manipulated by the author/narrator in order to serve some Specific Purpose.
Don't expect too much interaction with Shakespeare's characters. They're in the scenes, but they're even flatter than the main characters. A few start out promisingly, but they all end up looking like marionettes being manipulated by the author/narrator in order to serve some Specific Purpose.
August 25, 2010
Mimi Wallingford is the latest in a long line of famous Wallingford actors, starring in Shakespearean productions nightly at the now rather shabby Wallingford Theatre on Broadway. Mimi's latest role is to die for: starring as Juliet opposite popstar Troy Summers as Romeo. But Mimi doesn't care for the role . . . in fact, for reasons unknown, it's causing her to have totally debilitating stage fright. Is it because Troy is so handsome, and so stuck up? Is it because the fate of their family and the theater rests on her young shoulders? Or because she wants to quit acting and become a doctor, something her mother will not allow?
All these problems pale in comparison to Juliet's, however. The real Juliet Capulet, who Mimi meets when a magic charm takes her and Troy to 16th century Verona, where the debt-ridden Capulets are about to sell their daughter to the highest bidder: Paris, who is twice the spunky young Juliet's age.
Okay, I often have a problem with depictions of Juliet, onstage, film, in books, because she usually seems so . . . vapid. "I'm dancing, I'm dancing, I'm in love! YAY! I'm going to kill myself because love is so dramatic!" Pout pout, gasp, die, and SCENE! Ugh. Selfors, however, has done good by everyone in the play, fleshing out the characters in wonderful ways. Juliet is a young girl, unsure of what she wants. Romeo is a dreamer, but charming nonetheless. Benvolio gets some great screen time, and Lady Capulet is wonderfully horrible. This is what makes the book so engaging, as well as the characters of Mimi and Troy, who are both very relatable and fun to watch. Mimi, especially, which is good because she's the narrator, and I loved seeing how her confidence grew as she got out from under the shadow of her mother and her famous name. A most excellent look at Romeo and Juliet, and relationships as well (family, romantic, professional).
All these problems pale in comparison to Juliet's, however. The real Juliet Capulet, who Mimi meets when a magic charm takes her and Troy to 16th century Verona, where the debt-ridden Capulets are about to sell their daughter to the highest bidder: Paris, who is twice the spunky young Juliet's age.
Okay, I often have a problem with depictions of Juliet, onstage, film, in books, because she usually seems so . . . vapid. "I'm dancing, I'm dancing, I'm in love! YAY! I'm going to kill myself because love is so dramatic!" Pout pout, gasp, die, and SCENE! Ugh. Selfors, however, has done good by everyone in the play, fleshing out the characters in wonderful ways. Juliet is a young girl, unsure of what she wants. Romeo is a dreamer, but charming nonetheless. Benvolio gets some great screen time, and Lady Capulet is wonderfully horrible. This is what makes the book so engaging, as well as the characters of Mimi and Troy, who are both very relatable and fun to watch. Mimi, especially, which is good because she's the narrator, and I loved seeing how her confidence grew as she got out from under the shadow of her mother and her famous name. A most excellent look at Romeo and Juliet, and relationships as well (family, romantic, professional).
August 26, 2009
Original post at The Little Bookworm
Mimi is playing Juliet at her family's renowned theater, The Wallingford Theatre though she is suffering from stage fright. She's been acting ever since she was 3 so this sudden onset of stage fright is causing her big problems. Also causing her problems is her mother who wants to control Mimi's life and dictate where Mimi should go to college. On the night of the final performance of Romeo & Juliet, Mimi is magically transported, with her gorgeous co-star Troy Summers, to Verona, Italy and into the story of Romeo & Juliet. But her presence is changing the story and she doesn't know how to get back to her life. Can Mimi save Juliet and save herself?
It was a very cute book, a little contrived, but cute nonetheless. It didn't take much time to read. I understood Mimi's problems and her mother was so overbearing that it was ridiculous. Lady Capulet was the same way. The author tried very hard to parallel Mimi's problems with Juliet's, but sometimes it was a little forced. And I wasn't really crazy about Troy. He just bothered me. It was cute how Mimi changed the story of Romeo & Juliet and it all ended up alright. It was fun seeing the characters of the classic play reacting to life outside of that story. All in all, it was a cute, fun book.
Mimi is playing Juliet at her family's renowned theater, The Wallingford Theatre though she is suffering from stage fright. She's been acting ever since she was 3 so this sudden onset of stage fright is causing her big problems. Also causing her problems is her mother who wants to control Mimi's life and dictate where Mimi should go to college. On the night of the final performance of Romeo & Juliet, Mimi is magically transported, with her gorgeous co-star Troy Summers, to Verona, Italy and into the story of Romeo & Juliet. But her presence is changing the story and she doesn't know how to get back to her life. Can Mimi save Juliet and save herself?
It was a very cute book, a little contrived, but cute nonetheless. It didn't take much time to read. I understood Mimi's problems and her mother was so overbearing that it was ridiculous. Lady Capulet was the same way. The author tried very hard to parallel Mimi's problems with Juliet's, but sometimes it was a little forced. And I wasn't really crazy about Troy. He just bothered me. It was cute how Mimi changed the story of Romeo & Juliet and it all ended up alright. It was fun seeing the characters of the classic play reacting to life outside of that story. All in all, it was a cute, fun book.
June 9, 2009
Loved it!!! If you ever read Romeo and Juliet and thought "They deserve each other. They're too stupid to live!" then this book is for you. It gives an interesting and much more honest and clear depiction of all of the characters from the famous love story. Most of us forget these two were REALLY young teenagers. This story reminds us. If Juliet were alive today she'd only be in Jr. High and would be one of the numerous teens talking about the Jonas Brothers and Twilight. Gives you a whole new perspective on the arranged marriage with Paris - who is twice her age and VERY creepy.
Granted, it's not classic literature but it was a really nice, light, and fun read on a Saturday. I liked the characters as well as the storyline. People learned and grew. They looked inside of themselves and determined they needed to step up, stop whining, and take control if they didn't like the way things were going. It was a nice message without being overbearing. It's a quick read. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours. I'll definitely be sending this one to the nieces.
Granted, it's not classic literature but it was a really nice, light, and fun read on a Saturday. I liked the characters as well as the storyline. People learned and grew. They looked inside of themselves and determined they needed to step up, stop whining, and take control if they didn't like the way things were going. It was a nice message without being overbearing. It's a quick read. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours. I'll definitely be sending this one to the nieces.
May 16, 2010
A charming idea gone awry. Mimi, a reluctant young Shakespearean actress, travels with her co-star Troy not only back in time, but into Shakespeare's Verona. Her well-intended plan is to prevent the senseless suicide of Juliet and Romeo, and instead she nearly prevents their meeting. Selfors struggles between the language appropriate to the period and Mimi and Troy's 21st century vernacular, and settles on an unappealing modern mish-mash for the inhabitants of Verona.
January 1, 2023
I like Suzanne Selfors's prose, but the themes of this book felt really off for me. A lot of things were (imo) mishandled, not being dealt with as seriously as they should've been (eg. attempted rape, emotional abuse from a parent, etc). This is an older book and Selfors's first novel, but for 2022/23, this book is really outdated in its handling of ideas and I can't recommend it. I still want to read her later books though, as I hear this is the weakest one by far compared to the others.
September 27, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Stars
(There may be some spoilers so read at your own discretion :))
I found this book to be a delightful escape into the world of Shakespeare. What makes this escape even better were the two young actors who accidentally get transported into Verona and must now live out the Romeo & Juliet storyline for real. The book is very fast paced, which I liked because I couldn't put the book down - I just had to know what was going to happen next!
Mimi comes from a long line of renowned, distinguished thespians and theater owners. She struggles between doing what is expected of her and choosing her own path in life. Being Juliet in the play was meant to be her last role before she decided to take a break to discover herself.
Troy is a famous teen celebrity and singer who wants to cement his career as an actor by playing Romeo in the play. He is the typical egotistical, ladies' man who believes that everyone should fawn over him if not for his status as a celebrity, then for his out-of-this-world good looks.
In case you didn't notice, I do not like him. At all. Yes, there were certain parts in the book where he did (try) to redeem himself, and I will give him credit for his attempt, but it does not mean in any way that I like him nor do I think he deserves the protagonist.
I thought Mimi was very a level-headed, realistic young woman who really is trying to find out who she is as a person without her mom telling her what to do, what to say, how to eat and dress, etc. She is trying to prove herself as an independent woman capable of making her own choices and choosing her own path in life. She is perceived by the general public (including Troy) as being stuck up and spoiled. But in Mimi's POV, you can see her struggles with identifying with other people and always feeling like she is constantly judged for not living up to her family's reputation.
She is brutally honest about herself; about how she's never had a kiss never mind a boyfriend until her stage kiss with Troy (after which he asks her if that was her first kiss, before proceeding to recommend kissing lessons with him), about how she has no friends, about how she literally goes home every day with no one to talk to and living a basically isolated existence (as she is home-schooled and the only people she interacts with are the people she works with at the theater). But her traveling to Verona and meeting all of these beloved characters in the play really caused her to break out of her shell and form decisions of her own.
I really liked how the author brought the Romeo & Juliet characters to life, giving them certain characteristics that weren't in the original play but in my opinion were a lovely addition and made them more realistic. Romeo is love-sick young man who literally just mopes around all day. Juliet is a spunky, curly-haired, freckled-face adolescent who just wants to enjoy life. The only character whose adaptation I did not like (probably because I'm biased) is Benvolio. He's my absolute favorite character in the play, and in this book he started off as great. He's handsome, chivalrous, and a gentlemen (unlike *cough cough* Troy). Mimi falls head over heels in lust with him and he too with her. Literally, he was perfect throughout the book until maybe three-quarters of the way into the book when the author was like, "Oh wait, Mimi is supposed to end up with Troy, not Benvolio! I need to find a way to make Benvolio terrible, even if it's out of character and completely random!" (face palm)
Of course, around this time Troy has to go out of character too and become the gentlemen that he never was in order to be more appealing to Mimi and their "romantic" development. But for reals, he never stopped whining, complaining, or being narcissistic until practically the very end. Honestly, I was absolutely mortified when he humiliated Mimi and made her first kiss a nightmare. Like, who tells the person they're kissing that they need kissing lessons? Especially if she was an insecure young girl who has never been kissed before? Not only that, he has a different girl on his arm practically every other week (not that I'm shaming him for that) and expects all girls to just naturally crush on him. He was actually surprised when Mimi turned down his advances (mainly because she was hurt by his comment about kissing lessons) and attributed that to Mimi being stuck up because she thinks that she is too good for him. Any guy like that (even if he's sooooooooo incredibly handsome) is automatically out of my book and I would never consider him twice. Honestly, Mimi deserved better.
The book overall was a great read and I loved the protagonist and the characters and the plotline and pretty much everything - except for Troy (although I admit he does get better at the end of the book- but I would have liked to see him more as Mimi's friend rather than boyfriend). Definitely give this book a shot!
(There may be some spoilers so read at your own discretion :))
I found this book to be a delightful escape into the world of Shakespeare. What makes this escape even better were the two young actors who accidentally get transported into Verona and must now live out the Romeo & Juliet storyline for real. The book is very fast paced, which I liked because I couldn't put the book down - I just had to know what was going to happen next!
Mimi comes from a long line of renowned, distinguished thespians and theater owners. She struggles between doing what is expected of her and choosing her own path in life. Being Juliet in the play was meant to be her last role before she decided to take a break to discover herself.
Troy is a famous teen celebrity and singer who wants to cement his career as an actor by playing Romeo in the play. He is the typical egotistical, ladies' man who believes that everyone should fawn over him if not for his status as a celebrity, then for his out-of-this-world good looks.
In case you didn't notice, I do not like him. At all. Yes, there were certain parts in the book where he did (try) to redeem himself, and I will give him credit for his attempt, but it does not mean in any way that I like him nor do I think he deserves the protagonist.
I thought Mimi was very a level-headed, realistic young woman who really is trying to find out who she is as a person without her mom telling her what to do, what to say, how to eat and dress, etc. She is trying to prove herself as an independent woman capable of making her own choices and choosing her own path in life. She is perceived by the general public (including Troy) as being stuck up and spoiled. But in Mimi's POV, you can see her struggles with identifying with other people and always feeling like she is constantly judged for not living up to her family's reputation.
She is brutally honest about herself; about how she's never had a kiss never mind a boyfriend until her stage kiss with Troy (after which he asks her if that was her first kiss, before proceeding to recommend kissing lessons with him), about how she has no friends, about how she literally goes home every day with no one to talk to and living a basically isolated existence (as she is home-schooled and the only people she interacts with are the people she works with at the theater). But her traveling to Verona and meeting all of these beloved characters in the play really caused her to break out of her shell and form decisions of her own.
I really liked how the author brought the Romeo & Juliet characters to life, giving them certain characteristics that weren't in the original play but in my opinion were a lovely addition and made them more realistic. Romeo is love-sick young man who literally just mopes around all day. Juliet is a spunky, curly-haired, freckled-face adolescent who just wants to enjoy life. The only character whose adaptation I did not like (probably because I'm biased) is Benvolio. He's my absolute favorite character in the play, and in this book he started off as great. He's handsome, chivalrous, and a gentlemen (unlike *cough cough* Troy). Mimi falls head over heels in lust with him and he too with her. Literally, he was perfect throughout the book until maybe three-quarters of the way into the book when the author was like, "Oh wait, Mimi is supposed to end up with Troy, not Benvolio! I need to find a way to make Benvolio terrible, even if it's out of character and completely random!" (face palm)
Of course, around this time Troy has to go out of character too and become the gentlemen that he never was in order to be more appealing to Mimi and their "romantic" development. But for reals, he never stopped whining, complaining, or being narcissistic until practically the very end. Honestly, I was absolutely mortified when he humiliated Mimi and made her first kiss a nightmare. Like, who tells the person they're kissing that they need kissing lessons? Especially if she was an insecure young girl who has never been kissed before? Not only that, he has a different girl on his arm practically every other week (not that I'm shaming him for that) and expects all girls to just naturally crush on him. He was actually surprised when Mimi turned down his advances (mainly because she was hurt by his comment about kissing lessons) and attributed that to Mimi being stuck up because she thinks that she is too good for him. Any guy like that (even if he's sooooooooo incredibly handsome) is automatically out of my book and I would never consider him twice. Honestly, Mimi deserved better.
The book overall was a great read and I loved the protagonist and the characters and the plotline and pretty much everything - except for Troy (although I admit he does get better at the end of the book- but I would have liked to see him more as Mimi's friend rather than boyfriend). Definitely give this book a shot!
July 17, 2009
I love it when a book surprises you. It seemed like many people who had read Saving Juliet thought it was okay, but really not the greatest. So that's what I went into it thinking. I was so wrong.
Mimi is an actress by force. It's been a part of her family since her great-grandmother started acting a century before. She's stuck doing Romeo and Juliet with a snobby Troy Summer, who thinks the world revolves around him and "couldn't act himself out of a monkey cage". After an accident involving a charm, she ends up in fair Verona, determined to give Romeo and Juliet a happy ending.
It began obvious that acting was not Mimi's passion and she was doing it because she had no say in the matter. It's something I think everyone can say has happened to them, hopefully to a lesser extent.
I really enjoyed it once they got to Verona. There's the minor fact that she has NO IDEA where she is (kinda funny, not gonna lie). Everything sticks vaguely to the play, but with Mimi there everything gets changed. It was cool to see how they compared. And Mimi starts a budding romance with a character (not saying any names!)... That was cute.
It really is a story about staying true to yourself. I liked that theme (and I'm a fan of Juliet anyway, so I liked it). It's really a good, funny read. I got a few weird looks when I laughed out loud...
Mimi is an actress by force. It's been a part of her family since her great-grandmother started acting a century before. She's stuck doing Romeo and Juliet with a snobby Troy Summer, who thinks the world revolves around him and "couldn't act himself out of a monkey cage". After an accident involving a charm, she ends up in fair Verona, determined to give Romeo and Juliet a happy ending.
It began obvious that acting was not Mimi's passion and she was doing it because she had no say in the matter. It's something I think everyone can say has happened to them, hopefully to a lesser extent.
I really enjoyed it once they got to Verona. There's the minor fact that she has NO IDEA where she is (kinda funny, not gonna lie). Everything sticks vaguely to the play, but with Mimi there everything gets changed. It was cool to see how they compared. And Mimi starts a budding romance with a character (not saying any names!)... That was cute.
It really is a story about staying true to yourself. I liked that theme (and I'm a fan of Juliet anyway, so I liked it). It's really a good, funny read. I got a few weird looks when I laughed out loud...
March 14, 2022
Fluffy and sweet, with a wonderful heroine. Character development wasn't as in-depth/clear as I would have liked, but it's still a great comfort read.
March 31, 2020
TRIGGER WARNING FOR THE BOOK & THE REVIEW! Book: rape, Review: mention of rape
Mimi Wallingford, great-granddaughter of famous Broadway actress Adelaide Wallingford, hates being a lead actress in the theatre her family own. She also hates her co-star Troy Summer, the epitome of pop-star. They magically travel to Shakespeare’s Verona & so follows an abortion of a novel.
I’m breaking all protocol with this review and not being remotely pleasant. I’ve had enough of suffering through books I was hooked into by appealing blurbs, & then being let down by from start to underwhelming end.
Saving Juliet is a novel that butchers all that is beautiful about Shakespeare (for example Macbeth is misprinted as ‘MacBeth’ several pages in); and is watered down with sentimental teenage tripe. This is fanfiction at its worst, toilet paper at its best – it’s a trying time in the Corona Quarantine.
The characters are predictable clichés, the world-building is unimaginative, and the plot is practically see-through (and not just because the book is retrospective narrative). It is entirely exhausting to read. Just as something exciting happens someone opens a door to find a hindrance immediately behind. It was like reading a 200+ page episode of Scooby-Doo.
I’m going to go ahead and tell you the "big twist" at the end. Romeo, banished, is helping Juliet flee Verona – she fakes her death and they're about to run away when our heroes 'almost knock Lady Capulet off her feet'. It takes them less than three pages to convince her to let Romeo (her mortal enemy) abscond with Juliet (her only child, a virginal daughter, who is the only commodity she has to sell her way out of debt).
The parallels Mimi draws with her & Juliet’s lives are heavy handed and obvious. She empathises with Juliet’s awful plight of being trapped in a life and destiny she has no say in. Then when Mimi finds herself magically transported to the stage door, she goes back onstage to give a killer performance. She had some epiphany we aren’t made privy to as readers, which left me scratching my head as to why she didn’t just let her understudy go on and go home to shower, nap and cry. She’s just been stuck in Verona for three days, having had very little food, even less sleep and narrowly avoiding rape. Which I will glaze over because it was dealt with about as cleanly as someone punching a trifle.
Mimi doesn’t seem to see the laughable irony of her neighbour Larry, who wears a crucifix and refrains ‘holy St. Francis’, and Friar Lawrence’s similarities. It’s as though Selfors has tried to pepper the story with little Easter eggs but they come across as a slap in the face to anyone remotely familiar with Romeo & Juliet.
My conclusion, read this book if you want your brain cells numbing, hate Shakespeare or Romeo & Juliet, or you’re at the reading age of an eleven year old. I don’t know why I bothered to finish this book, it enraged me. Don’t even get me started on the single chapter appearance of one of the best characters in all Shakespeare's works, Mercutio. It’s as though Selfors has intentionally gone out of her way to avoid all the potential in the play. The only saving grace is that the cat escapes it’s life of boredom; but even that is marred with the shitty honour of him being renamed Romeo.
Mimi Wallingford, great-granddaughter of famous Broadway actress Adelaide Wallingford, hates being a lead actress in the theatre her family own. She also hates her co-star Troy Summer, the epitome of pop-star. They magically travel to Shakespeare’s Verona & so follows an abortion of a novel.
I’m breaking all protocol with this review and not being remotely pleasant. I’ve had enough of suffering through books I was hooked into by appealing blurbs, & then being let down by from start to underwhelming end.
Saving Juliet is a novel that butchers all that is beautiful about Shakespeare (for example Macbeth is misprinted as ‘MacBeth’ several pages in); and is watered down with sentimental teenage tripe. This is fanfiction at its worst, toilet paper at its best – it’s a trying time in the Corona Quarantine.
The characters are predictable clichés, the world-building is unimaginative, and the plot is practically see-through (and not just because the book is retrospective narrative). It is entirely exhausting to read. Just as something exciting happens someone opens a door to find a hindrance immediately behind. It was like reading a 200+ page episode of Scooby-Doo.
I’m going to go ahead and tell you the "big twist" at the end. Romeo, banished, is helping Juliet flee Verona – she fakes her death and they're about to run away when our heroes 'almost knock Lady Capulet off her feet'. It takes them less than three pages to convince her to let Romeo (her mortal enemy) abscond with Juliet (her only child, a virginal daughter, who is the only commodity she has to sell her way out of debt).
The parallels Mimi draws with her & Juliet’s lives are heavy handed and obvious. She empathises with Juliet’s awful plight of being trapped in a life and destiny she has no say in. Then when Mimi finds herself magically transported to the stage door, she goes back onstage to give a killer performance. She had some epiphany we aren’t made privy to as readers, which left me scratching my head as to why she didn’t just let her understudy go on and go home to shower, nap and cry. She’s just been stuck in Verona for three days, having had very little food, even less sleep and narrowly avoiding rape. Which I will glaze over because it was dealt with about as cleanly as someone punching a trifle.
Mimi doesn’t seem to see the laughable irony of her neighbour Larry, who wears a crucifix and refrains ‘holy St. Francis’, and Friar Lawrence’s similarities. It’s as though Selfors has tried to pepper the story with little Easter eggs but they come across as a slap in the face to anyone remotely familiar with Romeo & Juliet.
My conclusion, read this book if you want your brain cells numbing, hate Shakespeare or Romeo & Juliet, or you’re at the reading age of an eleven year old. I don’t know why I bothered to finish this book, it enraged me. Don’t even get me started on the single chapter appearance of one of the best characters in all Shakespeare's works, Mercutio. It’s as though Selfors has intentionally gone out of her way to avoid all the potential in the play. The only saving grace is that the cat escapes it’s life of boredom; but even that is marred with the shitty honour of him being renamed Romeo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2020
Soooooooo not horrible but I have a whole lot of gripes.
The first one is that ....just....this is NOT how the Fine Arts work.
I don't know a single dancer who would show up (ONLY) an hour early WITHOUT hair and makeup??????
We were required to arrive (at least) an hour early with literally everything done except our costume. Hair? Done. Makeup? Done. Change of clothes? Packed. Makeup? Packed.
Most of us arrived about 2 hours early to get set up.
Because of this i started the book already cringing and super wary.
Ummm I didnt actually mind the MC's voice after I got into the novel, but at the beginning she was super whiny and immature and it annoyed me. Once I got into it I didnt mind her; it just took some time.
There were also a lot of breaks in the suspension of disbelief. Like....she would stop in her narrative and say things like (paraphrasing) "i told you at the beginning that this happened a year ago so you know we escaped but we almost didnt so turn the page for the riveting climax"
It really didnt do the storyline and narrative any favors. It just....sounded immature and ammateur. It broke the suspension of disbelief, booted you out of the story, and was just overall clunky and awkward. I cringed when I came across them.
Also I didnt like the line 'Juliet was so more than Shakespeare had imagined her to be'. Like, I get where the author was going with this but to me it really discounts Shakespeare's genius and his writing and all the depth of all his plays. Like yeah you can just read them, but if you actually take a second to really understand them and look at them you'll find a whole lot more than you bargained for.
Ok good stuff? I liked most of the characters. They werent super deep or developed, but for the most part I liked them well enough.
I haven't read Romeo and Juliet (ik...weird right?) so i cant compare them to their original counterparts, all I can say is that they generally didn't grate on my nerves.
I actually liked Troy at the end and their little romantic discussion was cute.
I did find it easy to just sit with this book and read a chunk of it. I can't say that it is particularly well done, and I don't plan on reading the author's other works (just because it had an overall immature/whiny feel for most of it), but there were certainly some enjoyable scenes and I don't regret reading it.
I'm going to go read some actual Shakespeare -
The first one is that ....just....this is NOT how the Fine Arts work.
I don't know a single dancer who would show up (ONLY) an hour early WITHOUT hair and makeup??????
We were required to arrive (at least) an hour early with literally everything done except our costume. Hair? Done. Makeup? Done. Change of clothes? Packed. Makeup? Packed.
Most of us arrived about 2 hours early to get set up.
Because of this i started the book already cringing and super wary.
Ummm I didnt actually mind the MC's voice after I got into the novel, but at the beginning she was super whiny and immature and it annoyed me. Once I got into it I didnt mind her; it just took some time.
There were also a lot of breaks in the suspension of disbelief. Like....she would stop in her narrative and say things like (paraphrasing) "i told you at the beginning that this happened a year ago so you know we escaped but we almost didnt so turn the page for the riveting climax"
It really didnt do the storyline and narrative any favors. It just....sounded immature and ammateur. It broke the suspension of disbelief, booted you out of the story, and was just overall clunky and awkward. I cringed when I came across them.
Also I didnt like the line 'Juliet was so more than Shakespeare had imagined her to be'. Like, I get where the author was going with this but to me it really discounts Shakespeare's genius and his writing and all the depth of all his plays. Like yeah you can just read them, but if you actually take a second to really understand them and look at them you'll find a whole lot more than you bargained for.
Ok good stuff? I liked most of the characters. They werent super deep or developed, but for the most part I liked them well enough.
I haven't read Romeo and Juliet (ik...weird right?) so i cant compare them to their original counterparts, all I can say is that they generally didn't grate on my nerves.
I actually liked Troy at the end and their little romantic discussion was cute.
I did find it easy to just sit with this book and read a chunk of it. I can't say that it is particularly well done, and I don't plan on reading the author's other works (just because it had an overall immature/whiny feel for most of it), but there were certainly some enjoyable scenes and I don't regret reading it.
I'm going to go read some actual Shakespeare -
February 1, 2019
I enjoyed this (as a fluff read) more than I thought I would at the beginning. The writing style wasn't my favorite (the narrator brings you out of the story often) but once we got into the Shakespeare part of the story, I really got into it and didn't want to put it down! I enjoyed the way it portrayed Juliet as spunky and the way it didn't actually follow the play exactly. The throw back to the original play made me want to go reread Romeo and Juliet though. I also enjoyed the hate to love romance in it, I thought the author did a good job with it.
I didn't love most of the side characters, they felt one dimensional to me. There were also changes in the mothers of the story that didn't feel believable to me.
The ending was great, I finished it with a four star reading (it wasn't until I sat down to write the review that I realized it was actually a three star read for me). Overall enjoyable, especially if you like Shakespeare/Romeo and Juliet.
Content: there are a few sexual references/jokes; there's also scene where one character attempts to rape another (isn't very explicit).
I didn't love most of the side characters, they felt one dimensional to me. There were also changes in the mothers of the story that didn't feel believable to me.
The ending was great, I finished it with a four star reading (it wasn't until I sat down to write the review that I realized it was actually a three star read for me). Overall enjoyable, especially if you like Shakespeare/Romeo and Juliet.
Content: there are a few sexual references/jokes; there's also scene where one character attempts to rape another (isn't very explicit).
September 14, 2018
So happy I could get this from the library! This was a cute story about a girl and a boy who got sucked into the story of Romeo and Juliet, and had to help them. It was wonderful, and I really enjoyed seeing Mimi make her way from stuck teen to confident, successful young woman - there's nothing like a jaunt in fair Verona to make a girl realize how to get what she wants from life, no? 4.5 stars.
August 6, 2018
This was exceptionally cute. Wasn't a huge fan of the grammar errors, but got past them. The idea that Romeo and Juliet are actually just lovestruck teenagers and lived in the end sounds much better than Shakespeare's ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2023
Needed a cute YA novel to make me feel young again
March 28, 2014
I first saw this book when I was going through books here on goodreads and it caught my eye, not only because Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite books, but also because my friends like to call me Juliet. I read through tthe summary and decided that it looked like a really good book. I decided to give it a try and ordered it online. The plot, in my opinion was a really good one. This book is about Mimi, a seventeen year old Shakespearen actress who wishes to become a doctor. When she and her heart throb co-star in her production of Romeo and Juliet, Troy Summers, get transported to Shakespeare's 16th century Verona, they find themselves on an adventure to try to get back the the 21st century. Along the way, Mimi meets Juliet and she decides that she wants to help her get her happy ending instead of commiting suicide. Mimi also findsd herself having to choose between Benvolio and Troy along the way. (Let's just say that I was VERY happy when she picked the boy from the 21st century, who was actually a real person!!!)
I really enjoyed the characters, I found myself laughing throughout the whole book. At one point, I was in my living room laughing my head off and my mother came into the room to see if I had completely lost my mind. I espcieally enjoyed the character of Troy, he was so completely clueless at one point that he was hylarious. This book was funny and a joy to read!
The only thing that I didn't really like was that I found little mistakes in the Romeo and Juliet plot that really annoyed me at times. I have practically digested Romeo and Juliet, the play and I found that the author made mistakes with the book. She kept saying that Verona was a fictional place and so were Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo and Juliet is actually based on a real story of two people in love who lived in Verona, Italy and ended up taking their own lives for eachother. And The Montagues and Capulets were real people as well. Also, the Capulet colors in the book were said to be Lavender and Gold, when they are really red and gold. The Montague colors were said to be Orange and Black, when they are really Blue and Black. These things bothered me throughout the book, but I'm just a Romeo and Juliet fanatic and it shouldn't stop you from reading this great and wonderful book!
I really enjoyed the characters, I found myself laughing throughout the whole book. At one point, I was in my living room laughing my head off and my mother came into the room to see if I had completely lost my mind. I espcieally enjoyed the character of Troy, he was so completely clueless at one point that he was hylarious. This book was funny and a joy to read!
The only thing that I didn't really like was that I found little mistakes in the Romeo and Juliet plot that really annoyed me at times. I have practically digested Romeo and Juliet, the play and I found that the author made mistakes with the book. She kept saying that Verona was a fictional place and so were Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo and Juliet is actually based on a real story of two people in love who lived in Verona, Italy and ended up taking their own lives for eachother. And The Montagues and Capulets were real people as well. Also, the Capulet colors in the book were said to be Lavender and Gold, when they are really red and gold. The Montague colors were said to be Orange and Black, when they are really Blue and Black. These things bothered me throughout the book, but I'm just a Romeo and Juliet fanatic and it shouldn't stop you from reading this great and wonderful book!
June 30, 2011
I had one great, enormous, fun, time reading Ms. Selfors’ book, “Saving Juliet.” The cover grabbed me first, and then her prologue had me cracking up – I LOVE THIS STORY! Not since Anne Fortier’s treatment of the legend (the medieval story line in her book, “Juliet”, not the modern story line that runs parallel) have I enjoyed a story this much. This is my favorite legend of all time and so far, Ms. Selfors’ treatment of the characters and the plot is exquisite. I’m already envisioning Molly Quinn from ABC’s “Castle” and Justin Bieber as the Mimi and Troy characters in the movie.
Ms. Selfors takes a well-known legend and spins it into something fresh, interesting and poignant at places, hysterically funny at others. I don’t think I’ll ever get Romeo and Benvolio singing Troy’s hip-hop song “Girl, oh oh oh oh oh, girl…” out of my head.
The story: Mimi Wallingford is a 17 year old scion of a New York/Broadway acting family (think, Barrymore, as in Drew) who really doesn’t want to act. She has to put up with a stage mother from Hell and on her shoulders is the impossible task of saving the family owned and run theatre where the lights should have dimmed a long time before. To put new life into the theatre and earn some desperately needed revenue, her mother stages a version of “Romeo & Juliet.” Mimi is reluctantly thrown into the production with a California teen heartthrob singer/actor named Troy Summers, who is brought in to generate audiences – that ‘flavor-of-the-month’ pop star all the girls scream after, but a young man who isn’t what you expect him to be.
Troy and Mimi find themselves in 16th century Verona and Mimi decides to save Juliet and have a happy ending to the world’s most famous tragedy- but I invite you read this wonderful story to find out how it unfolds. Suffice to say, there are a few plot twists and great dialogue that make it a real page-turner. I wish I could get a poster of the cover – it’s fabulous!
One criticism, however – the digital edition is rife with typographical and formatting errors – including an embarassing “Saving Julite” in large bold letters on the title page and frontispiece. Shame on the editors for not giving Ms. Selfors’ work the care and quality editing it truly deserves.
Ms. Selfors takes a well-known legend and spins it into something fresh, interesting and poignant at places, hysterically funny at others. I don’t think I’ll ever get Romeo and Benvolio singing Troy’s hip-hop song “Girl, oh oh oh oh oh, girl…” out of my head.
The story: Mimi Wallingford is a 17 year old scion of a New York/Broadway acting family (think, Barrymore, as in Drew) who really doesn’t want to act. She has to put up with a stage mother from Hell and on her shoulders is the impossible task of saving the family owned and run theatre where the lights should have dimmed a long time before. To put new life into the theatre and earn some desperately needed revenue, her mother stages a version of “Romeo & Juliet.” Mimi is reluctantly thrown into the production with a California teen heartthrob singer/actor named Troy Summers, who is brought in to generate audiences – that ‘flavor-of-the-month’ pop star all the girls scream after, but a young man who isn’t what you expect him to be.
Troy and Mimi find themselves in 16th century Verona and Mimi decides to save Juliet and have a happy ending to the world’s most famous tragedy- but I invite you read this wonderful story to find out how it unfolds. Suffice to say, there are a few plot twists and great dialogue that make it a real page-turner. I wish I could get a poster of the cover – it’s fabulous!
One criticism, however – the digital edition is rife with typographical and formatting errors – including an embarassing “Saving Julite” in large bold letters on the title page and frontispiece. Shame on the editors for not giving Ms. Selfors’ work the care and quality editing it truly deserves.
May 19, 2009
Yet another awesome Suzanne novel. I LOVED this book. It was amazing, everything I had expected and more.
The characters were adorable and I love them to death especially Troy and Romeo. For Troy, I had expected him to be like a douchebag and completely spoiled but he's not, at least, not really. And the times when he wants to make Mimi jealous is just a show of his insecurity and that he's just a normal human being, like us. Of course, there were times when I wavered between deciding if he was being a jerk or if he just really cared for Mimi but at the end, I realized that he's just a big softie at heart. :)
Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo. So, Romeo of the play. I had definitely expected to be this lovesick guy, which he completely was, but he was a SMART and KIND lovesick guy. He doesn't care for the rift between the Capulets and the Montagues and he treats all ladies the same - with respect and dignity, of some sorts. He befriended Mimi even though she wore the Capulet colors and decided to help Juliet, a girl that he had never even met before. Of course, if I had to choose between Romeo and Troy, Troy wins hands down. I like guys who are more rock-star like than medieval/renaissance type guys. Haha.
And Mimi? A very in-depth character with insecurities and feelings just like us. She doesn't want to live as an actress for the rest of the life, yet, she's afraid to go against her mother's wishes...directly. I can definitely relate to her because sometimes, mothers are a pain and there's really nothing you can do to go directly against them.
Overall, I loved Saving Juliet and I can't wait to see what other goodies Suzanne has in store for us.
The characters were adorable and I love them to death especially Troy and Romeo. For Troy, I had expected him to be like a douchebag and completely spoiled but he's not, at least, not really. And the times when he wants to make Mimi jealous is just a show of his insecurity and that he's just a normal human being, like us. Of course, there were times when I wavered between deciding if he was being a jerk or if he just really cared for Mimi but at the end, I realized that he's just a big softie at heart. :)
Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo. So, Romeo of the play. I had definitely expected to be this lovesick guy, which he completely was, but he was a SMART and KIND lovesick guy. He doesn't care for the rift between the Capulets and the Montagues and he treats all ladies the same - with respect and dignity, of some sorts. He befriended Mimi even though she wore the Capulet colors and decided to help Juliet, a girl that he had never even met before. Of course, if I had to choose between Romeo and Troy, Troy wins hands down. I like guys who are more rock-star like than medieval/renaissance type guys. Haha.
And Mimi? A very in-depth character with insecurities and feelings just like us. She doesn't want to live as an actress for the rest of the life, yet, she's afraid to go against her mother's wishes...directly. I can definitely relate to her because sometimes, mothers are a pain and there's really nothing you can do to go directly against them.
Overall, I loved Saving Juliet and I can't wait to see what other goodies Suzanne has in store for us.
May 18, 2010
This book was not what I expected and that is a very good thing, honestly I picked it up by fluke in a library and well I didn’t really want to read it but once I got half way through there was no turning back!
This book is about a girl called Mimi who wants to escape her life as an actor, she wants to get away from her controlling mother and her stage, a charm magically sends her to Shakespeare land where she meets Romeo and Juliet in the flesh, on her journey there she finds things out about herself and the people around her.
This is an easy read with a nice ending that will leave you feeling all mushy inside. It is a fairytale, a great one at that. Ok I did have one problem with this book Mimi was a bit whiney, if it wasn’t for her whininess I would have given this book five stars, I do like Mimi’s character she is strong and independent but she does not lack self pity she pretty much only pity’s herself and Juliet, but hey nobody is perfect.
I think the thing I liked most about this book is the friendship between Juliet and Mimi t is just beautiful how they take care of each other even though they hardly know each other.
You should definitely read this book its a great light and bouncy read that will make you feel good inside.
This book is about a girl called Mimi who wants to escape her life as an actor, she wants to get away from her controlling mother and her stage, a charm magically sends her to Shakespeare land where she meets Romeo and Juliet in the flesh, on her journey there she finds things out about herself and the people around her.
This is an easy read with a nice ending that will leave you feeling all mushy inside. It is a fairytale, a great one at that. Ok I did have one problem with this book Mimi was a bit whiney, if it wasn’t for her whininess I would have given this book five stars, I do like Mimi’s character she is strong and independent but she does not lack self pity she pretty much only pity’s herself and Juliet, but hey nobody is perfect.
I think the thing I liked most about this book is the friendship between Juliet and Mimi t is just beautiful how they take care of each other even though they hardly know each other.
You should definitely read this book its a great light and bouncy read that will make you feel good inside.
February 6, 2010
Mimi Wallingford is the great granddaughter of a famous Shakespeare actor. She might have the acting blood but she doesn't like acting at all. her dream is the go to L.A to stay with her aunt and go to UCLA. Her mom wants her to go to the Theater Institute. Mimi has terrible stage fright. She threw up on the stage and everyone saw it. On the night that she was suppose to preform for Theater Institute admissions committee, she was transported to Shakespeare's Verona.
I think that it was totally wrong that Mimi's mom spent Mimi's money without telling her. All those years of acting could not have ended up with only $532. SHe used the word borrowing as an excuse for herself to feel better. Whatever way she says it, it still is wrong to take money from your own daughter's work. I think that it was really cool that when she went to Shakespeare's Verona. I wonder why she is meant to be there? There must be a reason why this would happen to her? Maybe she is there to learn why Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is so touching.
I think that it was totally wrong that Mimi's mom spent Mimi's money without telling her. All those years of acting could not have ended up with only $532. SHe used the word borrowing as an excuse for herself to feel better. Whatever way she says it, it still is wrong to take money from your own daughter's work. I think that it was really cool that when she went to Shakespeare's Verona. I wonder why she is meant to be there? There must be a reason why this would happen to her? Maybe she is there to learn why Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is so touching.
March 9, 2015
I'm beginning to worry every time I have to review a book which has already been reviewed by Namz - there's no way I can top her! So, go read her take on the book if you want to know about the fun plot and the charming characters - I'm going to skip the synopsis and get right ahead to my thoughts on the story.
Saving Juliet was yet another cutesy YA romcom by Suzanne Selfors. I loved Selfors' version of Juliet; she wasn't the swooning-on-the-balcony or trying-to-kill-self-because-her-lover-killed-himself type. She was more the stuff-herself-with-onions-to-repel-old-guy-trying-to-marry-her and create-her-own-destiny-and-follow-her-dreams type - It made her seem all the more real.
I felt Troy wasn't handled well, at least in the beginning. At first we were consistently told that he was a jerk and not to be liked but then all of a sudden Selfors switched gears and we had to believe he was, in fact, not a jerk but just misunderstood. It felt contrived.
Overall, 3.5 stars out of 5
Saving Juliet was yet another cutesy YA romcom by Suzanne Selfors. I loved Selfors' version of Juliet; she wasn't the swooning-on-the-balcony or trying-to-kill-self-because-her-lover-killed-himself type. She was more the stuff-herself-with-onions-to-repel-old-guy-trying-to-marry-her and create-her-own-destiny-and-follow-her-dreams type - It made her seem all the more real.
I felt Troy wasn't handled well, at least in the beginning. At first we were consistently told that he was a jerk and not to be liked but then all of a sudden Selfors switched gears and we had to believe he was, in fact, not a jerk but just misunderstood. It felt contrived.
Overall, 3.5 stars out of 5
October 3, 2010
William Shakespeare might have given his young lovers all sorts of sophisticated things to say, but in this version, my crazy version, they were just a couple of kids.
This book was actually a lot more than I expected it to be. I assumed that once Troy and Mimi went back in time, it would be a huge cheesy mess. I was wrong. The story created in 16th century Verona was actually very captivating. Juliet's character, especially, resonated with me. I'll probably think of this Juliet from now on when the original R&J is referenced. I loved the layers this version added to the character we all know from the play. Romeo was a loser, but let's be real - Shakespeare's Romeo is a loser too.
So, if you've noticed this book at the bookstore but assumed it would be a disaster - go back and pick it up! It probably won't be a lasting favorite, but I bet you'll start thinking about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a way you never did before.
This book was actually a lot more than I expected it to be. I assumed that once Troy and Mimi went back in time, it would be a huge cheesy mess. I was wrong. The story created in 16th century Verona was actually very captivating. Juliet's character, especially, resonated with me. I'll probably think of this Juliet from now on when the original R&J is referenced. I loved the layers this version added to the character we all know from the play. Romeo was a loser, but let's be real - Shakespeare's Romeo is a loser too.
So, if you've noticed this book at the bookstore but assumed it would be a disaster - go back and pick it up! It probably won't be a lasting favorite, but I bet you'll start thinking about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a way you never did before.
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